2 dead, 62 affected in ammonia gas leak in Tamil Nadu.

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government reported that two women died and 62 others were affected following an ammonia gas leak at the production unit of a private fish meal export factory in Tiruvallur district on Sunday.

The incident occurred in Kanigaipair village near Periyapalayam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, and opposition leaders from the state expressed their grief on social media.

PM Modi conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families via ‘X’.

The Prime Minister wrote, “I express my deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this incident. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”

According to an official press release, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has directed the formation of a three-member committee. This committee will comprise the Director of Industrial Safety and Health, the Member Secretary of the Pollution Control Board, and the Additional Director of Public Health. The committee is required to submit an interim report within 24 hours and a final report within three days.

Earlier, the police had reported a death toll of seven, but a subsequent release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and a statement by Health Minister Ma. Subramanian clarified that the death toll was two.

Speaking to reporters, Subramanian stated that an ammonia gas leak of this magnitude had never occurred before.

The Minister said, “Doctors have stated that they have not encountered cases with such high levels of exposure elsewhere.”

He also mentioned that the condition of some patients is deteriorating, and critically ill patients have been shifted from private hospitals to government hospitals.

He noted that the two patients declared dead had been treated at private hospitals.

He said, “One person was brought dead to a private hospital, and the other passed away while undergoing treatment there.”

According to the Minister, patients are currently admitted as follows: 28 at Vel’s Medical College, 18 at Venkateswara Hospital, 10 at Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital (MMC), and seven at Government Stanley Hospital. A total of 64 employees on duty—comprising 60 women and four men—were affected by the sudden gas leak.

Chief Minister Vijay announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh each to the families of the deceased from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund. He also ordered that the bodies of the deceased be transported to their home states for last rites at government expense.

A government press release stated that, to prevent such accidents from recurring, the government has made immediate joint inspections of all hazardous industries mandatory.

Meanwhile, the Periyapalayam police have detained the company’s owner and manager for questioning.

Governor Arlekar expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident, which claimed several lives and left many employees injured.

Udhayanidhi Stalin, Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, stated that the government must ensure the affected employees receive proper medical treatment.

Writing on his official X account, Udhayanidhi said, “To prevent such tragic incidents in the future, the government should step forward to conduct inspections and issue a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) if necessary.”

DMDK chief Premalatha Vijayakanth, who visited the victims at Chennai’s Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, attributed the incident to a complete lack of maintenance at the factory.

“The DMDK party had repeatedly raised complaints during local Gram Sabha meetings, demanding that the factory either be relocated outside city limits or shut down completely,” Premalatha said. She alleged that similar gas leak incidents had occurred at the same factory two or three times in the past.